The Rwandan community in Zambia on Friday, July 5, celebrated Rwanda’s 30th anniversary of liberation.
Organised by the Rwandan embassy in Lusaka, the ceremony was attended by over 300 guests, including members of the Rwandan community in the Southern African country, Zambian government officials, civil society, diplomats and representatives of international organizations.
They gathered at Mulungushi International Conference Centre to reflect on Rwanda’s transformation journey since the end of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
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In Rwanda, Liberation Day was celebrated on July 4 with a national ceremony, honouring the sacrifices of Rwanda Patriotic Front/Army during the liberation struggle and its campaign against Genocide. Rwandans also celebrated the achievements made over 30-year period.
Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Zambia, Emmanuel Bugingo, noted that the country had made significant strides over that the past three decades, thanks to good governance spearheaded by President Paul Kagame.
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"We are proud and happy to see that Rwanda today is no longer a case study for bad governance and a nation of insecurity, instead it has become a beacon of stability, good governance and a strong-growing economy,” said Bugingo.
"As we celebrate our 3 decades of Liberation Anniversary, we are determined to defend the successes recorded while blossoming to achieve more.”
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Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Elias Mubanga, who represented the Zambian government, said if African countries drew lessons from Rwanda’s transformation over the past 30 years, the continent would prosper.
"On this momentous occasion, we celebrate the spirit of resilience, unity, and progress that has come to define Rwanda since it gained its Liberation and Independence,” Mubanga said.
"Rwanda&039;s journey has been one of remarkable transformation. From the depths of adversity, the people of Rwanda have demonstrated extraordinary strength, rebuilding their nation with unwavering determination and an unyielding commitment to peace and development.”
The Zambian minister said Rwanda’s experience was a testament of what can be achieved when a nation unites with a common vision for a brighter future.